Halloween Traditions
by 46captain46
Summary: A Halloween-y Stucky one-shot, because I just had to write something. Slash, just to be clear.


Happy Halloween! I just wanted to write a one-shot about my favorite couple so here it is! Also a big thank you to MyLovelyMarauder for helping me with this and supporting me! Now, off with the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own them okay?! Yeah, yeah we all wish we did, but life is cruel isn't it?

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It was dark outside, the wind was howling, shaking the stiff tree branches manically as if wanting to break them into millions of pieces. The road was strangely empty as no one had yet come out of their houses. The weather outside was cold and not gentle by any means.

The stars weren't out, as if they were hiding, just for tonight, letting the big full moon shine a little brighter. It was eerily quiet as if something was ready to come out of the dark shadows to take you with it, following in the undeniable darkness.

It was creepy, but then again it _was_ Halloween. Bucky was inside their house, drinking quietly his tea waiting for Steve to return. He had gone out to get some groceries but that was three hours ago, for God's sake! Bucky was always acting like he didn't want company, or someone to talk with. He lied. And he knew Steve could see right through him, but he never asked or mentioned it.

The truth is; he hated being alone. It brought back memories. And not the good kind. When it happened, only one thing could calm him down, and that was Steve's arms wrapped around him and his sweet voice whispering soothing words in his ear. But he wasn't here now and Bucky couldn't block them out, he couldn't stop the voices screaming inside his head, blaming him, torturing him.

Blood. That red, thick liquid, spread all over the ground, but most of it being at his hands. Blood. That's what he saw now when he closed his eyes. Every time he did he was met with hundreds of pairs of lifeless, empty ones that held the same plea, the same hatred, the same question. _Why?_

He couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed on the hard, cold floor, screaming to the emptiness, to everyone that wasn't there. The tea had fallen down staining the tiles but he didn't even notice. And only now did he realize the dampness on his cheeks, the pain of his sore throat, the exhaustion that wouldn't go away.

The sound of the front door being unlocked was what freed him of the cage that had become his own mind. Steve had come home, the grocery bags hanging loosely at his hands. "Buck?" came the weary whisper. He dropped the bags not caring about the things he carried. "Oh Bucky" he whispered, voice cracking although he wasn't sure he had allowed it to. He too dropped on the floor, beside his best friend as he slowly, delicately pushed Bucky towards him, letting him to feel safe, something he so desperately needed after so many years of living in fear. And he let it all out. Everything he was feeling, everything he had felt, all the pain, all the guilt, all this weight in his chest caused by his bloodstained hands.

It didn't happen often, but Steve wasn't stupid; he knew the other was suffering. He never did anything more than tighten his arms around the broken man beside him but he knew it was enough; an assurance of his presence and his protectiveness and his love.

It may had been an hour, or some minutes, maybe seconds, they didn't know, neither they cared. He felt sure and loved, both of them. And Bucky….that's what he always needed. No words, no awkward conversations, just silence and the steady, lulling beat of their hearts, in more than one ways synchronized.

Steve knew Bucky wasn't okay, as much as he tried to convince him for the opposite. And then he remembered. He had been late because he was helping some kids with their Halloween costumes! He remembered a time when the two of them used to help the children of the town make their costumes and decorate the small pub there was for their little celebrations. He only hoped that Bucky remembered too, a task somewhat painful for him now to pressure him, but even if he didn't, what he was about to do would help him to.

"Hey Buck..." he said, his voice breaking the silence but not really in an unpleasant way. The brunet lifted his head for his beautiful icy-blue eyes to meet Steve's stunning, deep oceans. "Yeah…?" he replied, his tone not able to hide his curiosity.

"Do you remember when we used to help the kids that time of the year with their costumes and the decorations?"

At the question a light smile replaced the frown that had formed on his face as the memories of a careless, simpler, happier time flooded his mind.

"Yeah…" he said, his voice holding a fondness and a happiness Steve hadn't heard many times. It was nice. Seeing him at least a little relaxed and not so tense and wary all the time.

"Yeah well, I saw these kids that were straggling with a party they wanted to have at the bar across the street and, well, do you wanna go help them out?" He knew it would be nice to just relax and do something that had become some sort of tradition for the two over the years.

"Sure." was his reply and that's how they ended up here, at a Halloween afternoon, carving pumpkins and telling the kids stories about their life and the war. After a while and now that everything was ready they bid the kids goodbye and made their way home. The sky was pitch black and nothing could be heard but the light sound of their footsteps.

Bucky was walking besides Steve but the ex-assassin was barely able to concentrate on where he was going. He was lost inside his mind once more, but he didn't seem to be bothered by what he saw. He smiled, that little, mischievous smile of his, and that was the only warning he gave before scooping Steve up, to put him on his shoulders like they did when they were younger. It backfired though as Steve wasn't the same he was at the '40s and they ended up falling on the ground, a laughing, tangled mess.

They had tears in their eyes and were clutching their stomachs lying as they were at the pavement under the trembling street light.

"I love you." Bucky said, eyes dancing with love and happiness.

"I love you too." Came the sincere reply.

And then their lips met, and it was all a first kiss should be. Gentle, loving, beautiful, _perfect_.

It was Halloween, the wind was howling and it was the best Halloween they had ever experienced.

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Sooooooo, that's it, I hope you liked it! Please review, I would really, really, really like to know what you thought of this!

~Byeeee~

46captain46


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